Fade into You
by serafina19
Summary: They were two people standing alone in a corner, wanting nothing more than to escape from their current situation. Yet soon, they find peace with each other. (AU)


**Fade into You**

Between champagne flutes being consumed like water, the witty banter about whose millions were spent where... it was clear Chloe Sullivan wasn't used to an atmosphere like this. While Lois seemed to tone down her harshness for the article she was writing, Chloe watched her work the crowd from the corner of the room. Her cousin hadn't abandoned her, quite the opposite. No matter how hard she tried, Chloe couldn't stomach talking to these people. So she took refuge in this spot, resorting to people-watching as the seconds ticked away.

She could leave, but then Lois would berate her the next morning about ditching and Chloe figured if she could stand here for another hour, Lois may back off. But for the life of her, she couldn't understand how people could live this way, living so large that they could go to one of these events a week, while Lois likely spent a month's paycheck on both of their dresses. Chloe tried to tell her no, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. Her cousin never did. She offered to pay her back, but again, Lois shook her head. Because who was Chloe kidding? She had been out of a job for three weeks and the job market wasn't brightening up by any means.

Her application for a barista at the local café was ready to go tomorrow morning while she tried to find a way around Lex's attempt to block her from journalism. She had to give him credit, as she tried freelance for various out-of-state publications, but one-by-one, she went from anticipation of future work to bitter disappointment.

However, that wasn't the main reason for her frustration. To put it simply, money, power… corrupts. Chloe had seen way too many cases of that in her work with Clark, heck her experience with the Luthor family alone. She knew there had to be exceptions, but she wasn't about to search for it now, for she doubted that she could catch a moment of sincerity from any of them.

Turning her head, Chloe felt her eyes narrow as she noticed that she wasn't alone. He wasn't looking at her, nor was he looking at his phone. He had been there for a few minutes, but instead of desiring conversation, he just stood there. Maybe he didn't belong too, maybe he was just was looking for a way out, she wasn't sure, but he stayed there silently, eventually glancing in her direction when he noticed Chloe's stare. He gave her a quick smile and then stared out into the crowd again, as if nothing happened. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but for some reason, Chloe couldn't figure out what it was.

**~0~**

There had to be more to life than this.

If Oliver had learned anything in life, it was that money didn't truly solve problems. It may help, but it didn't really do as much as it should. Most fundraising just went into budgeting for more fundraising, so while people convinced themselves that this was for a good cause, it was nothing but a cheap trick to make themselves feel better than they were.

A few years ago, Oliver would have been all over events like this. Arms draped around women, showing up his playboy image, but there was something about coming back from an island that changed a man. The things he thought he enjoyed most were just emptiness he was trying to fill with something. Now all this made him sick, but Oliver had no choice. This was his so-called cross to bear. Make the rounds, smile at the camera, create a decent impression, but not a first impression, as everyone had made up their minds about who Oliver Queen was.

Except maybe the woman standing next to him. He caught her eye for a second, maybe two, but there was something missing in the way she saw him. So Oliver took that freedom as he leaned against the wall, watching the status quo revolve around them. Yet as time went by, the people began to fade, leaving the music, a blurry room, and a petite blonde woman in a blue dress.

**~0~**

For the last minute, Chloe was tempted to turn her head back, but she knew that he was staring at her now, and for some reason, she wasn't sure if she wanted him to stop. In a way, they were two lost souls in this crowded room, yet how he ended up in this corner with her, Chloe wasn't about to ask. However, she turned her head anyway, not surprised to see him move his eyes away, but Chloe wasn't backing down this time.

Slowly, Chloe pushed herself off from her safe place against the wall, walking towards him, noticing the way his eyes found hers when she stood out in front of him. "Wanna dance?" she asked. She wasn't a great dancer, but she figured it would help her relax.

It took him a second to nod his head, but soon enough, his hand was in hers, leading her onto the dance floor. Standing in front of each other, listening to the slow melody from the band behind them, they placed their hands tentatively on each other, lifting their feet carefully as they moved to the music.

A few minutes into the song and Chloe felt herself relax in his arms, although she wasn't entirely sure why. However, Chloe wasn't about to over-think it. Her life had been chaotic lately, so a few minutes of peace and solitude was more than fair in her opinion. The fact that he kept his hands in the right place and was relaxing with her helped, but Chloe never imagined that it would lead to her head resting against his chest, so she pulled her body back while trying to pull herself together.

Oddly enough, it didn't seem like he minded, as they didn't lose a step, and Chloe never felt him move. So she looked up at him, noticing how… intense he was looking at her. It was almost as if they were thinking the same thing, wondering how they could stand here like this, feeling as if they had known each other for years when they had just met.

But Chloe matched his stare, even with his face inches from hers. Somehow, she managed to maintain her breathing when his breath reached her cheek. Eventually, their feet stopped moving and they stood there silently, missing the end of the song entirely.

Unfortunately, the applause for the band snapped both of them out of their trance and Chloe found herself taking a few steps backwards. Meeting his eyes once more, she grinned. "Thank you."

Her companion bowed his head slightly and replied, "Likewise."

**~0~**

Watching as she walked away, Oliver almost didn't notice his phone vibrating. He figured it was work, but it was actually his driver, and as he looked back over to where he had last seen her, Oliver realized that it was time to take his leave.

**~0~**

Her initial destination was going to be the nearest waiter so Chloe could grab a glass of overpriced champagne, but Lois found her first and told her that they were leaving. For while Lois was able to dial up her patience, it was clear that it was running thin, which worked for Chloe. She knew that the high point of her night had come and gone.

**~0~**

Oliver had done one last tour of the room, thanking the gracious hosts, signing the dotted line to help with the cause before he headed for the elevator alone. Once inside, he reveled in the silence around him as he reached the lobby. Oliver was ready to head for the coat check, or at least, that was until he noticed a familiar face.

"I promise I'll make it up to you, Chloe."

Oliver was tempted to turn around, hoping Miss Lane wouldn't see him, but he paused when he caught a glimpse of the other woman's face. It didn't take long for Oliver to realize who it was, who _Chloe _was.

A name wasn't much, and it would never be much more than that, but it was better than nothing. A connection to Lois Lane he hadn't been expecting, but based on what little he knew about both women, they likely complimented each other perfectly.

He noticed the way she smiled back at the woman working at coat check, the slight eye roll she gave to Lois. There was a part of him that wanted to approach her, but it wouldn't accomplish what he wanted. So even as his car pulled up as they exited, Oliver gave them a minute head start.

**~0~**

After a few of Lois' stories, Chloe had honestly lost track of how many times she had rolled her eyes. The last few minutes they had been standing outside, Chloe had tuned out her cousin's voice, re-living that last dance in her mind. She kept wondering when was the last time she had felt like that, but no amount of thinking answered that question, as not even dancing with Clark in high school came close.

Seeing a cab approaching them, Chloe was about to stick out her arm, but Lois' words stopped her. "In fact, I tried to get an exclusive from Oliver Queen." Turning her head, Lois now saw the cab and whistled and sure enough, the cab pulled over. As Lois opened the door, she added, "Safe to say that didn't work so well."

Chloe was thanking her luck that Lois was facing away from her, because there was no escape from her cousin's curious streak if she had seen Chloe's expression. She couldn't help but feel so stupid as she approached the cab, but as she held onto the door, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Sure enough, there he was, standing in front of the building, looking straight at her.

Chloe wanted to believe that it was fake, all of it, but the more she thought about it, the more she looked at him, she knew that it wasn't. Oliver Queen's reputation was well-known, but he didn't use charm to get her attention and he didn't do anything to keep it. It was just a simple moment between two people and Chloe had a feeling that he needed it just as much as she did.

So she smiled at him, wanting to say thanks, but not wanting Lois to notice her pause in getting into the cab, so it was a second tops. But as she turned her head to get into the cab, Chloe swore that she saw Oliver smile back at her.

**~0~**

Even as she disappeared, Oliver's stare remained at the single cab up the block. Initially, he could see that Chloe now knew who he was, but what was lacking in her eyes was regret. The smile she gave him was infectious, but the way it formed made Oliver feel like it didn't happen often, which made Oliver glad that he was able to bring it out of her.

"Will you be heading anywhere else tonight, Mr. Queen?"

Noticing how his driver had stuck his head out of the car window, Oliver pulled his door open and got in as the cab took off in the opposite direction. "No Sam, just back home." As much as Oliver wanted to follow, it was probably best to them to go their separate ways, to remember the night for the right reasons.

Leaning back in his seat, Oliver noticed Sam's head turn slightly. "Was it as dull as you predicted?"

Oliver smiled as he turned his head to look out the window. It would be easy to say yes, but there was something about that simple, innocent moment that made the rest of the night disappear. And as he closed his eyes, all he could see was Chloe's genuine smile before she left in the cab.

She could have faked it, ignored it, or worse, played it up. But in that moment, Oliver knew that this was one of the few real moments that he had ever experienced in his life. It was why he eventually replied, "Almost."

**~End~**

* * *

_Sera's Scribbles: Props to those who think this sound familiar. A while back, I wrote what I called "__The Insomnia Drabbles__" on LJ, but this was always one I wanted to expand (incidentally, it was the first one I wrote)._


End file.
